


Troubled Nights

by CoffeeQuill



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Bonding, Comforting, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Grief, Hurt/Comfort, Jedi Obi-Wan, Late Nights, Master & Padawan Relationship(s), Mourning, Nightmares, Padawan Anakin, Vulnerable Obi-Wan, Young Anakin, Young Obi-Wan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2016-01-16
Packaged: 2018-05-14 05:08:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5730583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeQuill/pseuds/CoffeeQuill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Qui-Gon's death, Obi-Wan struggles to hold up the facade of an unaffected Jedi knight. At night, he breaks down, pouring out his grief into his pillow.</p><p>Too bad that nighttime is when Anakin really listens.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Troubled Nights

**Author's Note:**

> Just meant to be a cute little fic of Obi-Wan coming to terms with the loss of his master and Anakin with becoming a padawan.

Obi-Wan's cries are near silent through the walls, faint and soft but Anakin can still hear if he listens hard enough in his dark, quiet room. He should be sleeping – perhaps the only reason his new Master is making any noise at all – but he just can't.

His own heart aches for Qui-Gon but he understands that Obi-Wan was so much closer to him, trained for years under Qui-Gon's watch. And even if he's defeated his Master's killer, avenged him – well, Anakin knows that it can't possibly fill the void that a death leaves behind.

Soon the cries stop and instead are replaced with footsteps – hearing them near his door, Anakin quickly rolls onto his side and pulls the blanket over him, faking sleep. The door opens and he can see Obi-Wan's shadow, and all he hears is a sniffle before the door shuts to shroud the room in darkness again.

Anakin quickly sits up when the footsteps leave and he frowns to himself. He can sense Obi-Wan's hesitance as his Master, a somber fear of failure that won't be spoken aloud. He wonders if the apprenticeship has come out of Obi-Wan genuinely wanting to be his master, or simply feeling an obligation from Qui-Gon's death – maybe he'll never truly know the reason, because if it's the latter, Obi-Wan would never say so.

He can hear his Master rummage around in his kitchen for a few minutes and the thought of food makes Anakin's stomach growl, despite the dinner they'd eaten hours prior. Maybe Obi-Wan will be displeased with him staying up, but maybe he'd be able to comfort him.

Quietly, he slips out of bed and walks to the door, leaning out; Obi-Wan's form is a dark shadow in the barely lit room, curled up on the couch with a mug in hand and a blanket around his shoulders as he looks out the window at the city. It's so unlike the image of a Jedi that Anakin has formed in his mind; his Master looks vulnerable, and he can sense his worry.

“What are you doing up, Ani?” Obi-Wan says softly.

Anakin nearly jumps; for a split second he wonders how he's been seen when Obi-Wan is facing the opposite way, but it's immediately pushed away as nonsense. “I heard you,” he says, stepping out of his room.

Obi-Wan seems to tense at his words, only to hide it well. “I'm sorry to keep you awake.”

Anakin walks over to the couch, and as it's big enough for the both of them to lay, he climbs up and sits beside his Master, resting his head on his shoulder. “It's okay,” he whispers. “I think crying means you cared. And there's nothing wrong with it.”

Obi-Wan looks at him with a calculating look, as if he's looking for hidden judgment in Anakin's eyes – but he finds none, and it seems as though his mental shields break down, because he wraps an arm tightly around Anakin's shoulders and holds him close. “I'll start your training as soon as possible,” he says, his voice dropping to a comforting tone though Anakin isn't the one who needs comfort.

“Thank you, Master,” Anakin says, drawing a smile from the older boy. Seeing a plate of biscuits on the ottoman, he takes one and bites into it before he squirms to get comfortable, burying his face against Obi-Wan's chest as he chews. Obi-Wan doesn't protest, seemingly deep in thought. Anakin looks up at his Master – the light from Coruscant's streets shines a bluish glow on his face, revealing his watery eyes and the faint traces of tear tracks going down his cheeks. Hating to see him sad, he presses a kiss to his cheek before curling up again.

Obi-Wan smiles down at him. “Thanks, Ani,” he says softly, and both can sense that this is the beginning of a close relationship.

–

The next night is similar, but the comforting doesn't take place on the couch or so late at night.

Instead, when Anakin hears his Master's grief, he doesn't wait; he gets out of bed and walks to Obi-Wan's room. He knows by instinct that tonight is worse, and he wants to show him that he has his apprentice for support.

Quietly, he opens the door and steps inside, where Obi-Wan is curled up in his bed. At his arrival, the sobs – muffled by a pillow – become silent. “A-Ani?”

“Nightmares,” Anakin tells him as he climbs into the bed, and it isn't a lie – he has only heard his Master's whimpers because a nightmare startled him awake.

“What was it about?” Obi-Wan asks with a sniff, adjusting himself.

Anakin fits perfectly against his chest, and both draw warmth from the other. “I can't remember,” he says softly, and at the moment, it doesn't feel as if it matters anyway. “But... it had Master Qui-Gon in it, and you. You were saving me from something.” He looks up at Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan buries his face in Anakin's shoulder, holding him tight; Anakin can feel the tears begin to soak his tunic and it isn't very comfortable but he just closes his eyes until he falls asleep in his Master's embrace.

–

The third night, it isn't Obi-Wan who needs comforting.

Anakin wakes from a nightmare with a scream, his body sweating and muscles painfully tense. Tears are running down his face as visions of losing his mother forever flash before his eyes, his small hands gripping the sheets. He's trembling everywhere and he lets out an uncontrolled sob.

“Anakin!”

He doesn't hear Obi-Wan running to his room, only the door swinging open and the ignition of a lightsaber. He looks back at his Master, shaking and wiping at his eyes. “Obi,” he whimpers.

“... Nightmare?” Obi-Wan shuts the lightsaber off, walking to the bed upon sensing no threat.

Anakin whimpers as he nods, and as Obi-Wan sits on the bed he crawls to his side to slide into his arms. Obi-Wan accepts and holds the Padawan against his chest, pressing a kiss to his temple. “It's okay,” he whispers gently; his voice seems a little shaky but Anakin doesn't question it, pressing himself against his master for comfort.

“Can you stay with me?” Anakin whispers; some of his tension is easing away with Obi-Wan's warmth.

“Of course,” is the reply, and with some odd shuffling around, a comfortable position is achieved in the center of the bed; Anakin is curled up and pressed against Obi-Wan's chest, wrapped in his arms with a perfect fit. His Master's breath tickles his neck and he can't help but think that maybe things will be okay.

Obi-Wan needs him to stay grounded, and Anakin needs him to reassure him that he's safe.

Suddenly, the future feels brighter.

 


End file.
